Automatic decelerating device



J. F. LAYNG.

AUTOMATIC DECELERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FlLED MAR.24, 1917.

1,347,784. Patented July 27, 1920. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I6 7 I /g J g P0 I: i! Z W v A at 24 Inventor:

H John F. Layngg, 1" 2.1 as 2/ 1 A I b M A! [I LI 9 His fiftorney.

J. F. LAYNG.

AUTOMATIC DECELERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION'FILED MAR. 24, 1917.

1,347,784. Patented July 27,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.5.

CU/MEWT SPEED TIME TIME Inventor: John F. L agng, b [i His JTttorneg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- JOHN F. LAYNG, F SCHElQ'ECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GETN'EKAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC DECELERATING DEVICE.

Speoification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1917. Serial at. 157,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. LAYING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Decelerating Devices, of which the followin is a specification.

lVIy invention rehtes to automatic decelerating devices adapted for use with power brake appliances.

An object or" my invention is to conserve the power applied to moving vehicles by causing them to decelerate automatically.

Another object of my invention is to automatically decelerate moving vehicles at any desired rate. p Another object of my invention is to maintain automatically a desired rate of deceleration regardless of any variation in the load being carried.

Another object is to decelerate a moving vehicle smoothly without jarring or jol" ing, thereby avoiding accidents and making journeys in vehicles more comfortable.

till another object or" my invention is to compensate the decelerating device for the effect of gravity when the vehicle is on an incline.

A further object of my invention is to so design a decelerating device that it may be employed as an auxiliary to regular brake equipment.

Still further objects will appear from the following detailed description of a concrete embodiment of my invention.

In order that the exact nature-of my invention may be more readily comprehended, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the general application of my invention to power brakes or" the fluid pressure type; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the governing device employed with my invention, while Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the contact segment used in the governing device; Fig. 5 illustrates an application of my invention to one form of regular brake equipment and Fig. 6 is a plot showing the relation of energy consumed tovario-us rates of deceleration.

it has long been known that there is a large personal equation in the amount of 0 energy required to operate a motor-propelled yehicle. In the speed-time curves shown in Fig. 6, speed is plotted against time as the abscissa, While the current consumption is plotted against the same timeintervals as abscissa. It is apparent from this plot that to conserve current, it is desirous to out ofl? the current as early as possible so as to begin coasting, which is indicated by the moderately inclined portions of the speed-time curve denoted by K. To bring the vehicle to rest at the desired time, rapid deceleration (indicated by the steep portions of the curve) is required where coasting is utilized. It is observed that the earlier the current is cut ofi', the more rapid must be the deceleration which is required if the car is to traverse the same distance in the same time. denoted by the energy curve, was plotted against rates of deceleration and shows that less energy is required for the higher rates of deceleration than for the lower.

I propose toprovide for automatically maintaining an economical or high rate of deceleration in the practiceof my invention, thus eliminating the personal equation from the braking operation.

Referring now to Fig. LA. indicates a pipe leading air under ressure to an ordinary brake cylinder B6: the flow of which air is under the control of an admission and exhaust valve V- and a holding valve W, both actuated by the decelerating governor D. l have designed the governor D to actuate these control valves V and W electrically, for which purpose current is led from any convenient source, such as the trollg '1, through the engineers brake valve serving as a master controller, and through brake-line L to the governor D, thence to the grounded solenoids o and w; of the valves V and W by way of conductors It and Z respectively.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4; show more in detail the construction of the governor D which I have designed to automatically maintain .any desired rate of deceleration. This governor comprises the inertia car 10 mounted to roll upon the insulating segment 11 which in turn is carried by the carriage 12 mounted to roll upon the insulating segment 13.

The car 10 is provided with axles, each having three wheels 14 mounted thereon, the wheels being adapted to travel over conducting strips 15, 16 and frustrated strips or Patented July 27, 1920.

The energy consumed,

I to be directly under the third wheel 14 of areas 17, the strips 15 and 16 being mounted in the insulating segment 11, while the strips 17 are mounted on extensions 30 and 31 as will be more fully hereinafter described.

Strip 15 is in conducting relation with line L through binding post 18 mounted in the segment 11, conductor 19, trolley 20, strip 21 and binding post L mounted in segment 13, to which binding post line L is se- The three trolleys 20, 24 and 28 are suit ably mounted on the carriage 12 and are adapted to travel along, and always remain in contact with conducting strips 21, 25 and 29, which strips are mounted in segment 13, but such arrangement is by no means essential in the practice of my invention, elastic connections between strips 15, 16 and 17, line L, and conductors. k is required.

The car 10 is adapted to bridge strips 15 and 16 and energize solenoid '0 so as to open valve V and admit air to the brake cylinder BC whenever the brake valve E is thrown to automatic-braking osition. For this purpose, the brake valve lil is provided with conducting segment 8 which places the line L in conductin relation with trolley T when the valve I] is turned to automatic braking position, such position preferably being in addition to the regular lap and service position.

The inertia of car 10 will cause it to gravitate away from its central position on segment 11 when the vehicle to which the 0V' ernor is applied begins to decelerate. he more rapid the rate of deceleration, the farther from central position will car 10 roll. I have placed the conducting area 17 so as car 10 when this inertia car has moved to a position corresponding to the rate of deceleration which I desire to maintain automatically. In this position, car 10 not only bridges strips 15 and 16 so as to energize solenoid 4) but also bridges strip 15 and area 17 so as to energize solenoid w, moving valve W, which is of the inverted type, to closed position, thus holding the a1r pressure in brake cylinder BC at the critical value adapted to secure the desired rate of deceleration, it being understood that the two axles carrying the wheels 14 are electrically connected so that the contacts 15 and 17 are at this time connected together through the middle trolley 14 of the set in advance, and the trolley 14 of the rear set which still e 'n and Z being all thatpoint corresponding to theposition of car i 10, where the desired rate of deceleration is exceeded. It being understood that just before the wheels 14 leave the strips 15, 16 and 17, the middle wheel 14 of the advance axle is in engagement with the strips 17, while the outer wheels 14 of the rear axle are in engagement with the strips 15 and 16. In this still farther position, car 10 moves off of strips 15, 16 and area 17, thereby breaking the circuits through conductors 7c and Z and deenergizin solenoids o and 10, which permits valve to open so as to exhaust brake cylinder BC until the desired rate of deceleration is again attained, when valves V and W will again move to the lap position.

In order that the governor D may be adj usted to maintain various ratesof deceleration, I have provided extensions of the surface of the se ment 11 with adjustable inclinations, suc extensions being shown at 30 and 31. These extensions turn about hinged portions 32 and 33, their free edges being raised and lowered by jack-screws 34 and 35 respectively, but such an arrangement is by no-means essential to m invention. Extension surfaeeshaving a justable inclinationsprovided for segment 11, however, aflord convenient means for causing car 10 to move against a resistance which can be varied so as to set the overnor D to maintain any desired rate of eceleration.

Thecarriage 12 rolling upon segment 13 has been provided to compensate for the ade upon which the vehicle is operating. ny grade which would cause car 10 to move relatively to segment 11, were it fixed, regardless of the deceleration, so as to alter the rate of deceleration for which the governor was set to maintain, will cause carriage 12 to move instead, thus preserving the position of car 10 relative to segment 11. In

p the position it has assumed when the valve E is moved to automatic-braking position. In Fig. 5 I have shown an application of my invention to a form of regular brake equipment, such form frequently being in diagrammatic fashion for purposes of illustration used in connection with multiple unit trains. The ordinary train pipe is shown at TP as adapted to supply air to the ordinary triple valve TV through a connection a, which valve controls the supply of air from auxiliary reservoir AR to the brake cylinder BC in the usual manner and may be provided with a supplemental reservoir SR when desired.

Such brake equipment is shown as under the control of an engineers brake valve E which may tap a main air supply such as the reservoir train pipe RTP having the main reservoir R and pump P.

My invention is applied to a train unit, thus equipped, in parallel with the regular brake control and is auxiliary thereto. The pipe A is adapted to supply air to the brake cylinder BC directly from the main air supply, the reservoir train pipe RTP in this instance, and is controlled by valves V and W actuated by a governor D. The governor 1) receives current from the brake-line L which runs throughout the train and is put in conducting relation with a source of electric energy by any engineers valve E, as heretofore explained. W hen my invention is applied as an auxiliary to the regular brake equipment, the operator may control the brakes by hand in the regular way or move the valve E to a itomatic braking position so as to place the brakes solely under automatic control.

lhe mode of operation of my invention is as follows:

ll hen it is ascertained what is a desired rate of deceleration for a motor-propelled vehicle operating over a given route, as from a study of the speed-time curves for that route, the governor D is adjusted to maintain such rate by raising or lowering the extension surfaces of the segment 11.

Assuming that a vehicle to which my in vention is applied is operating over its route and that the interval of time in which the vehicle is to be brought to a stop with the desired rate of deceleration has just commenced, the operator would throw his val e IE to automatic-braking position so that the brake will be under automatic control solely. This at once energizes solenoid o and magnet 36, locking carriage 12 against movement during the period of deceleration. Solenoid 1) will lift valve V so as to admit air to the brake cylinder BC, whereupon the vehicle will begin to decelerate smoothly at an increasing rate as the air pressure builds up in the brake cylinder. Car 10, by its inertia will be moved farther and farther away from its central position with respect to the segment 11 until the desired rate of deceleration is attained, when a car wheel 1d will stand above an area 17 whereupon solenoid to will be energized closing valve W to the further admission of air to the brake cylinder BC. The valves V and W will remain in this lap position so long as the desired rate of deceleration is maintained. Should the desired rate of deceleration be exceeded, car 10 will move farther out on the extension surfaces of segment 11, thus deenergizing solenoids 'v and w, as above explained, and releasing air from the brake cylinder BC until the desired rate of deceleration is again attained, and so maintained until the vehicle is brought to a stop. It is thus seen that I have devised means for automatically maintaining any desired rate of deceleration which is independent of the personal equation in the braking operation and also independent of the load in the vehicle.

In a multiple unit train having my invention applied, the governors D on each unit are connected in multiple from the brakeline L so that when one engineers valve E is thrown to automatic braking position so as to place the brakes solely under automatic control, the brakes are then simultaneously applied throughout the train under the control of governors D thereby maintaining automatically the desired deceleration.

While l have described in detail this embodiment of my invention, which is the best means at present known to me for carrying out my invention, in conformity with the patent statutes, I would have it understood that they are merely illustrative and that 1 do not mean to be limited thereby in the choice of mechanical. equivalents and the adaptation of means to an end, except as defined in my claims here nto appended.

'W hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent of the United States is:

l. in an automatic decelerating device for a vehicle, means for retarding the movement of said vehicle and a governor provided with compensating fects of grade for controlling the rate of retardation of saidv vehicle.

2. The combination with a power brake, of controlling means therefor and a decelerating governor having a rolling inertia device.

8. The combination with a power brake, of controlling means therefor, and a decel erating' governor having a bodily movable member and a carriage therefor.

4. The combination with a power brake, of controlling means therefor and an actuating governor provided with an inertia car, a carriage therefor and means for locking said carriage against movement during the period of deceleration.

5. The combination with a power brake, of controlling means therefor and an actumeans for offsetting the efating governor provided with an inertia car and a cooperating segment having an adjustable surface, forming a track for the car.

6. The combination with a power brake,

vided with conducting strips, electrical connections leading to and from said strips to said valves and a bodily movable member adapted to bridge said strips and actuate said valves.

9. The combination with a fluid pressure brake, of controlling valves, a governor having a carriage provided with conducting strips electrical connections leading to and from, said strips to said valves, means for energizing and denergizing said connections, and a bodily movable member adapted to brid e said strips,

10. he combination with a fluid pressure 1 brake, of controlling valves, a governor having a carriage provided with a locking device and with conducting strips, electrical connections leading to and from said strips to said valves, an inertia car adapted to bridge said strips and an engineers valve for energizing said connections and locking said carriage when in automatic braking position.

11. The combination'with a fluid pressure brake, of controlling valves, a governor having a carriage provided with a locking de vice and with conducting strips, an inertia car adapted to roll on and bridge saidstrips during a desired rate of deceleration but to roll therefrom when such rate is exceeded, electrical connections leading to and from said strips to said valves and an engineers valve for energizing said connections and locking said carriage when in automatic braking position.

12. The combination with a fluid pressure I brake, of an admission and exhaust valve, a

holding valve, a controlling engineers valve, a governor having a carriage provided with a magnetic locking device and with an in sulating segment, a pair of conducting strips in said segment, one havlng electrical confrustrated strips to said holding valve.

13. The combination with a power brake for a vehicle, of controlling means therefor comprising two cooperating inertia devices which are movable relatively to the vehicle 'on which they are mounted.

14. The combination with a vehicle, of a power brake, magnetic controlling means therefor, a master brake controller, a governor electrically energized by said master controller and means for adjusting said governor to maintain any desired rate of deceleration.

15. The combination with a vehicle, of 'a power brake, magnetic controlling means therefor, a master brake controller, a governor electrically energized by said master controller and provided With compensating means for offsetting the effects of a grade, J

16. The combination with a vehicle, of a fluid pressure brake equipment, an engineers brake valve for actuating said brake equipment, auxiliary control valves in parallel therewith, a decelerating governor for actuating said auxiliary valves, said engineers valve provided with means for energizing said governor.

17. The combination with a fluid pressure brake, of an admission and exhaust valve, a holding valve and an inertia governor therefor adapted to automatically and independently apply and release the brakes.

18. The combination with a power brake, of controlling means therefor, and an inertia governor for actuating the controlling means, thereby automatically and independently controlling the braking force.

19. The combination with a'power brake, of controlling means therefor, and an inertia governor having relatively movable parts whereby the brake control is solely automatic.

20. The combination with, a power brake,

JOHN F. LAYNG. 

